How Do You Love?
by RunSakura
Summary: Rukia and Byakuya are faced with many challenges focused around their love... how will they manage?
1. Snow Storm

It started on a cold, windy winter day. She took her kitana and tucked it neatly inside her thick coat. Without hesitation, she flung open the manor door and ran as fast as she could before the tears spilled against her now freezing cheeks.

_**Flashback:**_

"_Rukia, there is something we need to discuss."_

"_What's that Nii-sama?" she tilted her head quizzically._

_Byakuya pulled her close to him with a single swipe of his hand and now pressed his nose against hers._

"_They want me to marry someone, Rukia… and that someone is you." His breath hot against her lips now._

"_I…I don't understand, why me?" she pushed against his chest to no avail._

_Byakuya flicked his tongue out just enough to graze the slit of her own lips, tasting her sweetness._

"_Because you are the only woman who is worthy of being my wife and bearing the next Kuchki heir. Don't you understand, Rukia? I will have no one but you." He purred, pressing gently on her lips with his._

_Rukia was momentarily stunned by his actions. Why was he acting in this manner? His tongue slipped into her mouth and swiped over the top of hers, giving her a taste of his mouth. She felt as though a force had taken over her, causing her to run her hands into his kimono against his bare chest. Byakuya growled deeply as she breathed erratically to the feel of his lips cruising down her neck with sweet kisses and tender nips. Rukia felt him pull on her own kimono as the tension grew more heated between them. She looked around him room for a brief moment and then closed her eyes as she felt his tongue dance across her untouched nipple followed by a gentle sucking. Her head fell back as his hands reached up and tugged gently on her hair. Her hands followed suit and gently massaged the top of his head as he continued his ministrations on her. He looked up into a pair of hazy violet eyes and felt his heart pound hard against his chest. If only Rukia knew that he truly wanted this more than life itself; that he wasn't just ravishing her body in sheer lust. He lifted her up and as quickly as she was in the air, they landed on a soft bed shortly after. She felt him rub against her, making her body quiver in both excitement and fear as to what was ahead. Rukia's hands pulled him into her mouth for another deep, sultry kiss earning a deep moan from him. He shifted into a position in between her legs just above her womanhood. He looked down to move their kimonos out of the way and the sudden feel of her hot flesh was now pressed against his member. Looking up into her eyes, Byakuya felt a sense of ecstasy take over and kissed her again. Holding her tightly, he slipped into an untouched, pure territory that was quick to take him in and squeeze tightly around him causing him to buckle slightly over her. He looked at her face as he paused to let the sharp pain wash over, and gently kissed away her tears. The moment lasted for an eternity to her, but not too long for him. He wanted more, he wanted her always. Rukia was now on top riding him with all the intense feeling she held inside, grinding and bouncing; Byakuya pulling and pushing. Her body shook with the tingling sensation of him probing her in a place where no man had ever been, and she clawed lightly at his chest as she felt as though she was going to explode. Byakuya, feeling the same sensation pulsing in his lower region, pulled her hard down on his erection and came with her, spilling his seed inside her._

_**Three days later…**_

"_Byakuya, I don't know if I am ready for this kind of commitment…" Rukia cried as they stood face to face in a heated argument._

"_Rukia, if you weren't ready, then why did you agree?" he growled, now annoyed._

"_Because I knew that's what you wanted!" she admitted, soon slapping her hands over her mouth._

"_So, you do not wish to be my wife?" he was now angry._

_Rukia shrugged, "I don't know what I want. I thought if I just said yes, after a while it would wear off. I didn't think you were serious!"_

_Byakuya pressed his fingers firmly against the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, "Is that why you slept with me?"_

_Rukia's jaw dropped, "Why the hell are you bringing that up?"_

"_Tell me Rukia, were you planning on using that part of your body to get what you want from me?"_

_She stood In front of him shocked. _

"_I can not believe you! You made it seem like I was the one who started it! Don't you remember it was you who grabbed me?" she shouted._

"_Don't yell, Rukia!" he raised his tone a little._

"_Don't tell ME what to do! You are NOT my husband!" she shouted again, and earned a hard slap across her face._

She ran as far away as she could. She had a secret cavern she would run off to and practice with her Zanpakuto, where no one could bother her. Her cheek was still stinging for the now swollen hand print on it. She couldn't believe him. He first tried to accuse her of being a slut, and then slapped her! At this point, Rukia was so pissed off and hurt she didn't even think about hiding her spiritual pressure. She stormed through the snow and up the hill, never noticing the strong spiritual pressure following her.

…

…

She made it to her hide out, and quickly acted on getting warm. She pulled out the extra blanket she stored there and started to make a fire. She sat in front of the kindling and started hitting the rocks together, hoping the sparks would catch. Rukia was already frustrated as it was, and this was aggravating her even more. She cursed the rocks and tossed them off to the side. She crawled over to her makeshift bed and curled into the blankets. Soon after, she was asleep with tears lightly frozen on her cheeks.

Byakuya peered into the cave and made sure there was no movement. He knew he screwed up and was determined to make things right. He sat beside her for a moment and noticed her cheeks. Looking down at his hand, he closed his eyes. He struck a woman; a woman he truly loved. With a simple flick of his finger, the fire burned intensely on the wood. He looked over at Rukia again and pulled the blanket over her shoulder. How was he going to apologize? He watched the shadows against the cave dance across like wild fire, and then he saw it. He stood up and walked over to the wall to get a closer look. There etched in the stone was "R.K + B.K" in a lop sided heart. It looked old and judging from its position, she must have done it when she was a lot younger. His fingers traced the etching until a small voice startled him.

"What are you doing here?" she called from the blankets.

"Rukia, I came to say…"

"I don't want to hear it." She was now sitting up and had turned away.

"But, Rukia, please listen…"

"No."

He looked down at his feet for a split second before flash stepping himself directly in front of her, and pulling her into his arms.

"You will listen to me, Rukia." He said in a calm, monotone voice.

She struggled and kicked, but his hold just kept getting tighter; she figured she'd stop before he suffocated her.

"I did not mean to strike you, Rukia. I have never struck a woman before in my life, and I was just so caught off guard when you said you didn't want to marry me…" he started.

"I never said I didn't want to marry you, I just said I wasn't ready. Besides, you were the one who tried to say that I was a slut!" her voice slightly raised at the end.

Byakuya lifted her head to look into her eyes, "I never meant to say that, I am sorry."

Rukia started into his deep, grey eyes and for a second almost surrendered.

"Oh, no you don't!" she pushed him away, "This is how you got me to sleep with you that first time!"

"But it was only one time, Rukia. I never asked again because I felt like I forced you into it." He confessed.

Rukia felt guilty, he didn't force her obviously, and he ad been carrying around this guilt for almost a week. She took her seat beside him and sighed.

"No, you didn't force me… I wanted to…" she looked up at him, "I've always wanted to."

Byakuya returned her look with a smile and then looked back at the fire.

"Rukia, I love you more than life itself. I know that first night, I should have told you, but I was so nervous that I had to go with my emotions and look where it got us. I'm sorr…"

"God, would you stop apologizing? I already forgave you!" she laughed, but was a bit annoyed by it.

He nodded and looked at the entrance of the cave, "Well, I hope you have something to eat at least, I don't think we are leaving anytime soon." He said in reference to the now blinding blizzard outside. Rukia looked over his shoulder and cursed again.

"Well, the longest I have stayed in here was four days, but that's me. I don't know how you're going to hold up though." She teased.

Byakuya smiled and pulled Senbonsakura out form his coat and set it along side hers. "Well, I have had intensive training for these kinds of situations; I am a Capitan after all." He boasted.

Rukia rolled her eyes and began to walk further into the cave. "Well, the least you can do is help me find some more fire wood. It looks like were going to be stuck here for a while."

Byakuya stood up and followed behind her as she led the way into the heart of the cave. Inside, there were scattered pieces of wood and some boxes of stored food.

"Were you planning on living in this cave one day?" he joked.

Rukia shoved the wood into his chest, "No, I would come here to get away from you from time to time!"

The look on his face was priceless, he was speechless to say the least, and Rukia was proud of that. She grabbed one of the boxes and started to walk back to the fire side with a still stunned Byakuya following behind. The wood was set beside the fire as she began to pry open the box.

"I gathered all kinds of things for this kind of thing." She said as she pulled out a small kettle and some cooking hardware.

Byakuya thought he would take this opportunity to attempt to get her back, "You can cook?"

She glared at him menacingly, "What's that supposed to mean?"

With his arms crossed and a smug look on his face he replied, "Well, I figured in order to survive, you would have to be able to eat the food you cook!"

Without missing a beat Rukia countered his remark with, "And that is why you would never make it!"

Byakuya shot open his eyes, "Rukia!"

She waltzed away to the entrance to gather some freshly fallen snow to make some water. His eyes followed her every step and with every step, he knew for sure he wanted to marry her. Rukia fought off the angry snow flakes as she quickly gathered snow into the tea kettle. She stood up and looked into the cave. Byakuya sat poking at the fire with a blank look on her face. She knew she still loved him, and watching him like that made her smile. She giggled to herself as she walked back, just enough for him to hear.

"What's so funny?" he pouted.

"You are… I can't believe you followed me out here." She replied as she set the kettle over the fire.

Byakuya helped her set the pot just right and smiled, "I knew it was bad out, Rukia. Only a fool would let the love of his life go out in a blizzard alone."

Rukia looked up at him and smiled, "Love of your life huh?"

He simply nodded and started to crush up the tea leaves.

…

…

…

**Well, I had been working on this one for a while now and that's what made me decide to end my last story. I have a lot of adventures planned for these two and I hope you enjoy this new ride with me! ^.^**


	2. Snow Storm II

**Once again, I have returned. My fiancée and I were talking and he brought up a great idea, but I do believe a fellow author had the same idea. He suggested that I write different stories about the two, but I do recall someone already having that idea and I respect all originality. So, what I have come to terms with was this: I have decided to make this story full of trial and tribulations to prove two points. One: ByaRuki is totally awesome and two: love is always the answer! So, in making my decision, I hope you all enjoy this new story!**

"Did I say something I wasn't supposed to?" he asked looking up from his task.

Rukia smiled as she held open the sack for him to place the leaves in, "No, not really. I am just a bit touched."

Byakuya carefully emptied his hands of the leafy contents and looked up at her. Rukia had a slight blush spread on her cheeks touched by a shy grin. She placed the sack inside of the now steaming tea pot and placed it back over the fire. She looked at him just as he was looking at her and there was an awkward silence.

…

…

…

Rukia was about to open her mouth to acknowledge the silence when the kettle began to squeal. Byakuya gave a slight jolt and started for the handle, at the same time as Rukia. Her hand laid gently over his and she quickly pulled it away.

"I'm sorry." She blushed.

Byakuya set the kettle on the rock near by and looked at her in confusion.

"Why are you sorry, Rukia?"

She shrugged and pulled out a tea cup, when she realized she only had one. She looked up at him once more and placed it in front of him.

"You go first, I can wait." She offered.

Byakuya poured the tea in the cup, and slid closer to her side. He held it steadily with his right hand, and pulled her into a side embrace.

"We can share. It's getting dark outside and the cold is about to become intense; we need body heat to keep us warm." He explained gently, handing her the tea cup.

Rukia eyed him suspiciously, and gingerly took a sip from the nice, hot tea. He looked down at her and smiled at her facial expression.

"Do you not trust me anymore?"

"I don't know what you're up to, but I'm keeping an eye on you." She explained.

Suddenly, a blast of blistering cold air whipped through the cave giving her a feel of what was really outside. Her initial reaction caused her to curl up into Byakuya's chest and wrap her arms around him. It wasn't until he sighed when she realized what she was doing and slid away from him.

"I told you it was cold out." He smiled.

Rukia stood up and began searching of objects to block the cave entrance with.

"Rukia, what are you doing?" Byakuya asked as she rummaged around in the box.

"I am searching for something to block most of the cold breezes, if that's okay with you." She snapped back.

Byakuya sighed once again and stood up. With a swipe of his kitana, a large chunk of boulder slid off the wall and he simply rolled it to sit in front of the door.

"Happy now?" he called as he sat back in is spot and drank some more tea.

Rukia fumed, but not to the point to where it was noticeable. She pulled out a can of preserved berries and some rice made crackers and sat across form him.

"Are you hungry?" she tried to ask politely through her gritted teeth.

Byakuya nodded and set the cup down in front of him. He watched as she prepared him a few snacks and handed them over on a make shift plate. He looked carefully at the toppings and without hesitation popped it into his mouth. Upon further chewing, he realized that it was a mixture of strawberries and wild berries. He watched as Rukia savored the immaculate concoction, and noticed she was smiling.

"I take it these are your favorite flavors?" he asked.

Rukia had completely forgotten that she was even mad at him to begin with and nodded. Byakuya took it as an opportunity to convince her to come back home in the morning.

"You know you can always have them make this for you… back home." He offered.

Rukia clicked, but took into consideration the fact that he was actually trying.

"What else can I get?" she toyed.

Byakuya arched an eyebrow and looked at her. The moment would have been perfect, had it not been for the huge smudge of berries on her cheek. He held in a chuckle as he wiped the side of his own cheek, but Rukia did not catch on.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You have a little something…" he replied pointing at her face.

She wiped, but in the wrong area, "Did I get it?"

He shook his head as she began to wipe all over the place, but that stubborn smudge would not go. Finally he had enough. He stood up and knelt over her, taking her face in his hands, and gently licked the berry mix off her face. Rukia looked into his eyes, furious at first, but there was just something in the way he held her that made her forget everything and lop her mouth over his.

…

…

…

The fire wasn't quite dead yet, and the wind howled angrily outside. Rukia turned over on her side and kissed Byakuya's nose. In response, he pulled her closer against his bare chest and wrapped his arms around her naked body.

"I wonder how bad the snow is going to be tomorrow…" she mumbled against his chest.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be very hard to manage, but we can do it." He answered.

Rukia looked up at his face and smiled, "Why so optimistic?"

He faced downward and looked deep into her eyes, "Because when you are with me, I feel like I can accomplish anything."

Rukia blushed hard and looked down into his chest hoping to avoid the after effects of his compliment. However… he knew better. He could feel the heat from her blushing cheeks and wrapped his arms around her.

Given the sounds coming from outside, Rukia soon fell fast asleep underneath the warm blankets and did not notice him leaving the make shift bed. Byakuya threw on his haori and wrapped his heirloom scarf around his neck; taking a deep breath, he gazed upon Rukia's face once more before quietly making his way out of the cave. It may have appeared that he was leaving her behind, but he knew he had to get her out of that cave soon before they become stuck in that cave for the rest of the winter….

**Okay, so it's late and short please forgive! I have been going through a lot of crap these past few weeks and it has been giving me slight writer's block! As soon as I get this BS taken care of I promise I will devote a large chunk of my time to finishing a good story! ^.^**


	3. Snow Storm III

**Hello my dear readers! I have returned after hiding out for a while… I just became overwhelmed with so many things that I almost completely forgot about my work! Well, I will try to make this entire story as interesting as it can be… **

Rukia awoke to a loud thud on the other side of the makeshift door. She sat up and rubbed her bleary eyes only to find the Byakuya was no where to be seen.

"That bastard!" she cursed to herself as she stood up and wrapped herself in a blanket.

The fire had died a little, but thankfully not completely. Rukia at this point, was so angry at him, she failed to see the note he left her beside the tea cup. Angrily, she stormed to the end of the cave where she had a secret escape route incase she were to become blocked in side the cave. She pushed aside a few rocks and some branches she strategically placed there and stepped out into the blistering cold weather ready to give that man a piece of her mind. After stumbling over some hidden holes underneath the snow, she found the road that she thought would lead her back to the Kuchki manor…

…

…

…

Byakuya had returned to the cave with a few guards and some warm clothes for Rukia a few moments later. Thinking she was still inside waiting for his return, he tore away at the large boulder in the entrance and paused as the eerie silence and dead fire quickly caught his attention. It wasn't like her not to have something to say about being left alone… in a _cave_ much less. He quickly checked in every possible place he came across and became frantic when he didn't find her. He felt his heart speed up in fear as he turned back and made his way to the entrance. He hurried to the guards outside and jumped on his horse.

"We need to spread out and search the entire area!" he called out pointing in different directions as the guards rode off on command. "Rukia, where have you gone?" he asked himself as he rode on in a frenzy trying to at least feel her spiritual pressure. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes as though saying a prayer to help him find her before the weather gets worse. Thinking that maybe she wandered off somewhere in simply what she had on, he began to panic. Thoughts raced through his mind as his eyes scanned the area for her and his heart left wide open to feel her presence close by. As he turned up nothing, a part of his heart felt a slight pull, was he actually _worried?_ Byakuya Kuchki _never_ worries about anything… until Rukia happened. He pulled the reins on his horse and gently pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

_Flashback:_

_Rukia pulled open the doors to her room in a panic as the loud thud alerted her. She quickly ran down the hallway calling out to him in despair, poking her head in every room she passed by._

"_Where are you!" she cried to him._

_No reply…_

"_BYAKUYA KUCHKI! WHERE ARE YOU!" she hollered in sheer panic._

_She poked her head in the library and took a deep breath as she caught sight of him underneath a pile of books and scrolls and his eyes closed. She tore into the room with tears filled in her eyes and a slight sob in her voice._

"_Please be okay, please!" she sobbed softly as she pulled off the last book._

_She cupped his cheek and turned his head to her and called out to him. His eyes opened slightly and he smiled._

"_I tripped…" he mumbled._

_Rukia smiled and brushed the loose strands that fell upon his face, "Clumsy…"_

_Byakuya slowly sat up and gently pulled her into his embrace, "Were you worried, Rukia?"_

_She simply nodded into his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair._

_He chuckled, "Rukia, you know better than that… I am Byakuya Kuchki… nothing could ever happen to me."_

_Rukia looked up and wiped a tear from her eye, "Not even fall in love?"_

_He looked into her eyes and smiled, "I already have, Rukia…"_

_She blushed and attempted to turn away, but his fingers quickly held her chin and pulled it toward his. There was just a brief moment where they just sat there on the floor amidst all the books and scrolls, simply staring into each other's eyes._

"_I love you, Rukia." He stated before gently placing his lips over hers and kissing her for the very first time._

_End Flashback_

He smiled to himself and took a deep breath. Rukia has managed to unhinge the steel man after all.

…

…

…

"Damnit I'm lost!" Rukia cursed.

She walked along the river bank and continued to curse up a storm. The snow had let up some and she was able to see further up ahead to what seemed to be a village coming up. In her head she was so mad at Byakuya for allegedly leaving her behind in that cave; she didn't think that he may have gone to get help or something. She chuckled to herself and shook her head; there was no turning back now. It was starting to get late in the evening and she hurried to the village that was almost within reach, when she tripped in a hole and sprained her ankle.

"SHIT!" she cried at the top of her lungs.

Luckily for her, a farmer just so happened to be near by and rushed to her side.

"Miss, are you okay?" he asked, holding a hand out to her.

Rukia grabbed on and tried to pull herself up, but the pain was unbearable.

"I think I hurt my ankle, sir… I was trying to get back home and I believe I have become lost." She admitted.

The old man chuckled and scooped her up, "No worries my dear, my wife is an excellent healer. She has managed to accumulate kido once she arrived here in the spirit world… She will fix you right up and you can stay the night given the snow storm that's headed our way." He pointed towards the east where the grey clouds were building up. Rukia smiled and nodded in appreciation as he carried her to the village.

"By the way, what may I ask is your name?" he asked a little later.

Rukia gasped, "I am so sorry! Where are my manners! My name is Rukia, Rukia Kuchki…"

"Kuchki, as in Byakuya Kuchki?" the old man asked a bit startled.

Rukia nodded in reply.

"Why, my dear, you are so far away from home! Why are you out here all alone?" he asked.

Rukia felt the hurt rise again, and could feel tears threatening to spill. Gulping down her hurt she managed to tell the man most of the story, excluding the gritty detail of course. They walked a little while more until they reached a nice little cabin off the road. The old man carried her in and announced to his wife they had a guest. As he closed the door, a stout white haired old woman poked her head from the back room and greeted them with a warm smile. That smile sent Rukia into a deep comfort and almost felt as if she were home.

"Why darling, who is this adorable young child?" she cooed over Rukia.

The old man chuckled and looked at Rukia, "I told you she was a sweetheart."

Rukia smiled and introduced herself to the lady with her hand out, but the old woman simply wrapped her arms around her and carried her to a chair.

"Child, you are freezing!" she looked at her ankle and gasped, "…and you have broken your ankle!"

The old man cleared his throat and grabbed a fresh scarf, "Well, if you will excuse me ladies, I need to make sure word gets to the Kuchki manor so they will know she is okay… I will return shortly."

As he closed the door the old woman sat in front of Rukia and began to work on her ankle.

"You know child, you shouldn't be out in this weather like this." She softly scolded.

Rukia nodded and bowed her head, "I know; I'm sorry… I was just so mad and hurt…"

"I'm sure he meant well… men get confused and then they get angry because they do not understand…"

Rukia looked up at her, "Do you know?"

The old woman chuckled, "Oh sweet child, when you are an old woman such as myself, you know enough to share some knowledge… Now I'm sure he loves you very much and is out there in the cold searching for you right now…"

Rukia looked out the window and felt her heart sink, "I wasn't ready to get married…"

"But you must, Rukia… it is only proper to bring a baby into the world as a married woman." The woman said softly as she wrapped Rukia's ankle.

"Child? What child?" Rukia almost panicked.

The old woman looked at Rukia with a warm, but serious glance, "Would you like some tea?"

Rukia nodded, but was now curious as to what she was talking about.

"Child, you are going to have a baby… I know one person can not have two different spiritual pressures such as you hold… and I can also tell by the way your skin is glowing." The old woman explained as she poured her a cup of tea.

Rukia's heart slowed immensely as she slowly sipped on the tea. She was going to have a baby? Now more than ever she wanted Byakuya to walk in through those doors and sweep her off her feet. She wanted to apologize for her behavior and she wanted to go home with him and marry him. All at once her feelings and emotions took over and she started to cry.

…

…

…

It was now in the middle of dusk and the storm slowly started to pick up; Byakuya was still on the look. He was determined to find Rukia no matter the cost, and he was anxious to find her now because the wind was beginning to blow.

"Rukia!" he called.

His usual monotone voice sounded a bit silly yelling out, but he tried with all his might to make sure she'd hear him. He called out in all directions, hopping the wind would be on his side and carry his voice. After a few minutes in one place, he'd move a few miles up the road and try yet again, but the storm was beginning to pick up now. Being of stubborn nature and thick headed attitude, he pressed on in the blistering gusts of snow-filled air calling out Rukia's name. It was looking a bit grim for him, but that was just the beginning of his bad luck… Upon reaching a hilltop, Byakuya's horse suddenly jerked back and bucked him off the seat. He flew off the seat, mostly stunned because he was actually thrown off a horse, but still… He landed flat on his back and hit his head hard against a small boulder under the snow. The horse whinnied off further away from its ailing master all hope seemed lost for Byakuya Kuchki…

…

…

…

The old man, pulling a cart along, held the lantern out in front of him, peering into the dense shower of snow. The snow was so brutal, but as his job as village keeper it was his duty to ensure that everyone was safe. He called out a random "hello" every now and then in hopes some one heard his calling if they could not see his lantern. Holding up the lantern, the old man looked out once more about to turn in for the night, and that's when he saw him…

Hurrying as fast as his little old legs could carry him, the old man dashed to the semi-conscious person lying in the snow.

"Excuse me!" he called, "You there… are you well?"

…_silence_

After a few moments of no reply, he shrugged and slowly approached the figure. He set the lantern down beside Byakuya's head and took a good look at him. He moved over the hair in his face and the old man nearly fainted himself. Just by looking at him he could already tell who he was and without second thought, wrapped an extra coat over him from inside the cart and began to settle Byakuya in it.

"Don't worry Sir, my wife will fix you up in no time…" he said gently.

He threw over a second blanket from inside the cart and began to hurry them to his little cottage near by. Upon pushing the cart, the old man took a good look at the man underneath the heap of blankets and smiled to himself.

"Soon…" he said under his breath and started to make his way back to his home.

…

…

…

Rukia was sound asleep on a make shift cot as the old woman looked upon her. She glanced out the window and started to wipe her hands on the apron.

"_Snow is starting to pick up… I wonder where you are dear husband…"_

She looked out the window and still saw nothing but the thick white blanket growing by the second. She walked over to the door just to double check, when at that same moment he walked in.

"I was starting to worry about you…" she smiled.

The old man carried a bundle of blankets that seemed to have a pair of legs dangling from it. Quickly, she pulled up a chair and helped him guide the body down.

"I see you found one…" she said lightly.

"Yes, but this one is special, dear wife." He said as he pulled the blanket off his face.

"My, my he's a handsome young one…" she said as she began to examine his wound.

The old man chuckled as he made his way to the table and began to warm up by the table.

"How's the girl?" he asked as he took a glance at Rukia.

The old woman nodded as her kido worked on healing Byakuya's head, "She is fine… but just before she passed out, she kept apologizing…I am beginning to wonder why?"

The old man had removed his gloves and held the tea cup firmly in his hands, "I think he has something to do with it… I found him out on the path that leads to the Seritie, looks like he was searching for someone…"

The old woman looked up and smiled. She slid her hand gently across Byakuya's face and held his cheek.

"Oh dear child, the two of you have a lot of working out to do…" she turned to the old man, "Come, we must leave them alone…" Making sure Byakuya was fully healed, she stood up and took one last look at Rukia's sleeping form before they turned in for bed.

It was a few hours later and the sound of howling wind that startled Rukia from her sleep. She looked around the room before realizing she was still at the cottage. Before she lay back down she caught a glimpse of something in the rocking chair facing the fire place. Curiosity got the better of her and she quietly crept out of bed and tip-toed her way to the chair. Her heart stopped beating when she found Byakuya sound asleep and wrapped in a blanket. Rukia's eyes welled up with tears and was about to cry until his eyes slowly opened.

"There you are…" he smiled weakly.

Rukia cupped his face in her hand and smiled, "You found me…"

"I wouldn't stop looking until I found you, Rukia. I worried about you."

Rukia gently curled up on his lap as he pulled the blanket over her, wrapping them both up. She nuzzled her face into his neck and took a deep breath of sakura scent.

"I love you…" she mumbled before dozing off again.

Byakuya pulled his arm around her tighter and kissed the top of her head, "And I love you, Rukia."

**Ok, so I have decided on making this into three parts... you'll figure it out. **** Well, here is another addition… sorry I am running behind. It's been hard looking for work and now my grades are suffering because I am slacking off… ;-; But I do plan to keep writing, it's the only thing that seems to keep me sane. **


	4. Rekindle the fire 1

**Well hello there! Sorry I have been mia, I just didn't know where to go with it next, so I am just going to keep the idea and make different settings and plots all in one. These stories are NOT intended to have the same contents so don't get confused… cause I have a bad tendency to do that myself! Well, now that I have gotten all that out of the way….**

"Mom!" Shintu called from the door way of his room.

Rukia was sitting in the gardens waiting for Byakuya to get home from a week long mission and heard her eldest son calling.

"Yes, Shintu? I am here in the garden." She called back.

He smiled and started her way with Nikko in his arms. Nikko was Rukia's nine month old daughter and her pride and joy. For only being an infant, Nikko already had the spiritual pressure of a third seat court guard. Shintu was eight years old and aside from having her common sense and heart, he was just like his father; very brilliant and strong. He smiled as he came closer to their mother and her arms open for them both to come into her embrace.

"What is it my son?" Rukia asked as the two were now in her arms.

"Look what she learned to do today!" he said with pride as he sat his little sister on his lap.

Nikko placed both her hands on either side of her and stretched out her legs. The next thing they knew she was up on her feet and standing. With help from her big brother, she took a few steps and then suddenly on her own walked a few more steps.

"That's wonderful!" Rukia praised.

Shintu smiled as he scooped up the baby to return her to Rukia, "When is Dad going to be home?" he asked as he sat beside her.

Rukia sighed and gently took Nikko into her arms, "I'm not sure Shintu. I was hoping he would have been home before dinner tonight, but still no sign of him."

Shintu hated seeing his mother down like that, so he looked up at the sakura tree they sat under and sprung up to his feet.

"Shintu, what are you doing?" Rukia asked as he started to climb the tree.

"I'm going to see if I can see him." He smiled.

Rukia smiled at him knowing that she could sense Byakuya's spiritual pressure from a mile away.

Byakuya was not far and sensed his son looking for him, so he decided to trick them. He sealed his pressure and flashed over to the roof top, making sure not reveal himself. He saw both Rukia and Shintu looking off toward the gates and was about to make his presence known before noticing that Nikko was looking right at him. Smiling, Byakuya waved at her making her crawl in his direction thus getting Rukia's attention in that direction.

"Nikko? What are you-," she stopped when she noticed what the baby was looking at.

She smiled and scooped the baby up in her arms as she stood up.

"So… you tried to be sneaky huh?" she called out to him.

In a matter of seconds he was standing right in front of them with Shintu running from the tree.

"Dad!" he called.

Byakuya opened his arms allowing his son to run into his embrace.

"What did you do today my son?" he asked with a smile.

Proudly, Shintu turned and held his arms out to Rukia, "Can we show him what Nikko learned today?"

Rukia happily obliged and bent down to place the baby on the ground. As if the baby knew exactly what she was supposed to do, she stood sturdy on her feet and started walking to Byakuya. A tear slipped from his eye and he scooped up little Nikko bringing her to his face.

"My daughter," he looked at Shintu and placed his hand on his head, "my son… The two of you are the result of an undying love."

Rukia smiled as he took her hand in his and pulled her into their little family circle.

"Did you have a good day today?" she asked as they started walking into the manor.

Shintu took his sister and they headed to the maids waiting for them in their rooms as Rukia and Byakuya walked on to theirs.

"I will be leaving on a longer mission next week, Rukia." He said glumly.

"Well why not Renji go alone?" she slightly complained.

He sighed and pulled her into his arms as they entered their bedroom.

"I'm sorry my love. It has to be me because we both know that if Renji leaves too soon his and Matsumoto's wedding arrangements would be faltered… and we both know how she has to have things her way…" he stressed the "has" part.

Rukia sat at her vanity and pulled her comb out of her hair as she brought the brush to it. She hated that things had been busy lately and it has had Byakuya away from home. He sat on the bed and watched as her eyes averted his through the mirror.

"Rukia, please don't be mad… Things are getting a little out of control and since Ichigo has been out of commission it has been worse." He pleaded.

Rukia looked dead at him as he mentioned Ichigo. Ever since Ichigo's confession, she knew that Byakuya hated him. Ichigo had horrible timing as usual and confessed his feelings for her in front of him after the fact that Orihime explained to him the situation between the Kuchki's. Byakuya and Ichigo had a huge falling out and Rukia estranged herself from him to avoid any further confrontations. When Shintu was born, Ichigo just so happened to be around and stopped by the squad four barracks to see the baby. There is when Rukia explained to him that things between them could never be the same because Byakuya would not have it. Ichigo stormed out and headed to the senkimon, but lost his powers just as he stepped out on the other side. The last thing Rukia heard from Yorurichi was that he and Tatsuki had taken a long trip to Europe and haven't returned yet. Knowing that he hit a nerve, Byakuya stood up and made his way to her side. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. What would you have me do?" he asked kissing her head.

Rukia set her brush down and held his hand on her shoulder, "Let me come with you."

Byakuya knelt beside her, still holding her hand, "Rukia, I can't let you do that, and you know that…."

Rukia let his hand go and lowered her head. Ever since she almost died during her last assignment, Byakuya had her pulled from her duties as a third seat and stuck at the manor raising the kids. His biggest fear was losing her like that.

"I haven't been on assignment in so long! I miss the human world sometimes, Byakuya." She begged.

He took in her soft gaze and their pleading, but was quick to catch himself.

"I know what you're trying to pull, Rukia and it is futile." He smiled at her attempt.

Rukia huffed and crossed her arms like a child earning a chuckle from his mouth.

"Please, Byakuya… let me come with you?" she asked once more with a serious tone.

He pulled her into his arms and held her there for a moment before kissing her head.

"All right, Rukia… You can come with me on this assignment, but I want you to make sure the kids will be okay with the servants and the elders." He decided.

Rukia looked up at him and smiled from ear to ear, "Really? Oh thank you! And of course I will return every other day to see our children if we are to be away that long… I am so happy!"

She kissed his lips and sprang from his arms to tell Shintu the news. As she scampered out of the room, Byakuya sat in front of her vanity and looked at her brush. He wasn't sure if would be such a good idea for her to return to Karakura town now that Ichigo was back. He aligned her brush with her hair comb and stared at it for a while. Byakuya's biggest fear was losing Rukia and knowing that she and Ichigo had a past made him fearful of losing her to _him_. Sighing, he stood up and made his way out of the room to join her and their children for dinner.

…

…

…

"Dad, Mom tells me you finally agreed to take her with you this next assignment?" Shintu smiled as he held his chopsticks to his mouth.

Byakuya smiled and nodded as he took a drink. Shintu nodded once and placed his chopsticks down.

"I will take care of Nikko. Mom deserves to spend time with you, Dad. I don't like seeing her miss you like she does at night." Shintu announced.

Byakuya looked over at Rukia who was already blushing.

"Shintu!" she said covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Mom but I call it as I see it…" he said folding his arms on the table.

Byakuya muffled a small silly laugh by quickly covering his mouth. Rukia tilted her head at her son's forward remark and smiled.

"I had no idea you were so observant, Shintu" she smiled.

Shintu neatly folded his napkin on the table and looked at his parents very seriously.

"I think it would be in the best interest for your relationship if you took this time together."

Both Byakuya and Rukia glanced at each other before looking back at Shintu and smiling.

"So who is going to take care of you and your sister?" Rukia asked sternly.

Shintu stood up and started gathering up the baby, "Mom, I am quite capable of taking care of an infant. With the help of the servants, I am very certain the two of us will suffice."

Byakuya smiled and pinched his brow, clearly that was his son. Rukia watched as he held Nikko in his arms and stood before them.

"Shintu, I am very glad you are concerned for us, but we wouldn't want to leave you and Nikko alone and aside from that, I would miss you both dearly!" Rukia admitted.

Shintu smiled at his mother and bowed, "I know… but I want you to do this… I will not take no for an answer."

**Sooo… I hope you are happy with me. I wanted to make this one special and so I decided to throw a few kids in the mix. Find out next update to see whether or not Rukia follows orders! **


	5. Rekindle the fire 2

**After I don't know how many months, I have returned! Sorry for keeping you so long, I just haven't had the time to write. ****L But now I am back and hopefully I can at least finish what I started… Thank you all for being so patient with me.**

As they walked through the Sekimon, Byakuya pulled Rukia closer to him,

"Are you ready?"

Rukia looked up at him with a smile, "For what's to come?"

He replied with a nod and a sweet smile. Rukia wrapped her arm around him as the doors shut behind them. All the while Shintu held his baby sister and smiled as their parents disappeared into the light of the huge gates. Turning to one of the servants, he held Nikko up to her,

"Please take her, I am going to squad six barracks to see what all my father left behind for the lieutenant to take care of." he said in a mature tone.

The servant already knew his style and just nodded in agreement as she took Nikko and he shunpoed away.

"If only his father knew what a responsible young man he is…" the servant said to Nikko.

Back in the living world, Rukia and Byakuya both walked over the main bridge and stopped dead center to watch the river flowing beneath them.

"Do you think the kids are okay?" Rukia mused.

Byakuya smiled, "We haven't even been gone a whole day and you are already worrying about them? Come now, I have more faith in them than you do."

Blushing she turned away and stared off into the sparking water beneath them.

He gently pulled her toward him into an affectionate embrace,

"Do not worry about them, Rukia. I have made a complete list of assignments for the servants to follow and even Renji."

"Renji?" Rukia asked now puzzled.

He smiled down at her and gently brushed back that lock of hair that always sat in the middle of her forehead.

"Yes, Renji. I know how Shintu is and if I'm correct he should be sitting at my desk this very instant shuffling through my notes. I have informed Renji to go along with it and make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble. Because he is not only like me, but he is a lot like his mother…" he explained.

Rukia smiled knowing that he was right and rested her head into his chest. That beautiful, quiet moment was disrupted however by a blaring sound of Rukia's device.

"A hollow? Already?" she growled.

Byakuya chuckled and proceeded to get out of his gigai as did she. They had instructed them to continue on their venture but to return to their suite before dark. Without questioning the group went on their ways and Rukia was ready for action. It had been far too long since she had been on a mission as exciting as this and with her husband made for even more the excitement. A few quick steps west brought them to an open field where Byakuya gripped his Zanpaktu in anticipation and Rukia quickly followed suit.

"Be very careful Rukia…" He strictly instructed.

"Hai…" She was just about to say something in relevance to the situation when a huge explosion knocked her back on her behind.

Byakuya looked back quickly and unsheathed Zenbonsakura, "Get up, Rukia…"

By then she had already hopped up and held her stance, he was impressed but didn't show any emotion as always.

The air was thick with the smell of burning wood and burned earth. Rukia was on her tip toes keeping an eye out for any movement in the distance as Byakuya scanned the area above. She looked up at her husband and noticed her vision was becoming blurry. Shaking her head she blinked a couple times and still couldn't see him very well. Something had gotten in her eyes and was causing her to lose sight. As she was about to call out to him everything turned black and she blanked out. As her body hit the ground, Byakuya stopped in his tracks and looked back to see if her spiritual was ok but before he could pick up on anything a large rock came flying toward his face but luckily he was quick enough to dodge the attack. He looked up in the direction the rock came from and saw a huge black mass before him.

"State your business!" he called out to it.

All he could hear was a loud, high pitched hissing sound and the creature started to become more visible to him.

"Soul Reaper, I have come for your mistress…" it growled maliciously.

Byakuya glared at the hollow and hurried to Rukia's side. He quickly examined her and realized she was simply knocked out. In a quick sigh of relief he set up a protective barrier around Rukia and turned his attention back to the hollow standing before him.

"Now, I shall deal with you," he said in a harsh tone.

The hollow sneered at his statement and began to build a cero from within. Byakuya counter attacked his cero even before it could make its way out, slicing the hollow's arm right off. A wounded hollow held his arm off in the shadows of a few trees as Byakuya stood motionless waiting for it to attack him again.

"Curse you Soul Reaper!" it screamed now licking it's wound.

Byakuya turned and pointed his blade in its' direction,

"Never threaten me again…" he warned.

As he was about to put his sword away he heard a menacing chuckle come from Rukia.

In sheer horror Byakuya turned to her and watched as her body shifted and contorted within his barrier. He glanced once at the hollow who was now grinning with glee and with one single motion completely destroyed it in a plume of pink petals. He gaped at Rukia as her body lifted through the spells' boundary and lunged toward him like a lifeless doll being controlled by strings. He recalled the incident in Hueco Mundo and closed his eyes, he was trying to recall whether or not it was possible to destroy the parasite without harming his beloved Rukia. The only thing he could think of was to hold her with a strong kido binding spell and have Urahara look at her and see if he could find a way to break the spell. He opened his eyes and was staring directly into her cold lifeless eyes. He pointed his finger in her direction and called out his spell, bringing six bars of bright light around her like a rope. The sound that emitted from her was a ear shattering screech that caused the trees to shake and the ground to crack. As soon as she passed out, he whisked her away and hurried to Urahara's shop in urgency.

"Byakuya Kuchki… What a pleasant…" Urahara was stopped mid greeting once he saw Rukia in his arms.

"Can you help her?" Byakuya asked in slight desperation.

Urahara looked over Rukia and checked her vitals and nodded,

"Captain Kuchki I think I may just have a solution for you. These types of things happen when you encounter a soul hopper. It's a kind of hollow that casts its soul out in a blast or explosion… Did she attack you?" Urahara asked as they made their way to a back room.

"Yes, she started acting funny once she started attacking me, and once I caught her she cried out in an ear shattering tone…"

Urahara looked over his fan and nodded once more, "Mmmhmm.. I see…"

Byakuya knelt beside her and brushed her bangs out of her face. In an eerie sense in reminded him of his late Hisana. A chill ran up his spine and he shut his eyes.

"Will she be okay?" he said calmly.

Urahara smiled knowing what he was thinking,

"Yes, she will be fine. In fact she is a lot like you. That sound she made was more than likely the spirit leaving her body and the force was just so much for her little body to take it made her pass out. So she should actually just be sleeping right now, but we will keep a close eye on her for you."

Byakuya leaned over and kissed her forehead. She sighed and mumbled something he was taken aback by.

"What did she say?" Urahara asked.

Byakuya looked over at him blankly, "She asked for Ichigo…"

**Okay.. There was a little tid bit… I'm working on the remainder of this story, and if all goes well I should be adding a third installment… :3 Please R&R… 3 3**


	6. Rekindle the fire 3

**As promised I have returned for another installment! Wow…It really looks like I've missed out on so much! Been catching up on all the newest stories! I love themmmm! Well before it gets any later let's begin shall we?**

"Ichigo? Why would she be asking for him?" Urahara puzzled.

Byakuya placed his hand over Rukia's and placed their hands together over her chest. The simple act of her breathing gave him a sliver of hope that she would return to normal, but why _him?_

"If she wakes up while I'm gone please contact me…"he instructed.

"Where are you going?" the curious shopkeeper probed.

Without even turning around Byakuya simply dismissed him with, "To find him…"

His mouth made an o shape but silently waved him off. He turned his attention to Rukia and tapped the point of his chin with his fan.

"Hmmm… now if I can only find the source of impact, maybe I can double check for any strains left behind."

As he bent over to touch her forehead, a small, slender hand quickly grabbed his. A pair of violet eyes met him, but not in a familiar way. Rukia had completely forgotten who he was.

Byakuya stood motionless by the Kurosaki mailbox and glared up at what was last known to be Ichigo's room. Still troubled as to why she called out for _him _instead of him… why was she so worried about him anyway? He was simply a used up substitute soul reaper… He began to think of their kids and shut his eyes. Had all this been a lie? Was it really only because Ichigo could not return to the Soul Society? As all these thoughts raced through his mind, he failed to sense Ichigo's father standing right beside him.

"It's rude to gawk, captain…" he stated.

Byakuya's eyes grew large for only a second before regaining his composure.

"Where is he?"

"Who? Ichigo? What do you want with him? And where is my adopted daughter, Rukia?" Isshin asked giving a fatherly glare.

Byakuya filled him in on what was going on as they walked into the Kurosaki home. As they sat in the living room Byakuya took in all the pictures posted up on the walls. Ichigo and Orihime had apparently gotten married sometime after he had left the Soul Society. Part of him felt relieved that the boy moved on, but still…

"Has he mentioned Rukia at all?" he questioned.

Isshin fingered his chin stubble for only a second as if he was thinking back. To be honest, he couldn't remember a time when Ichigo _didn't_ bring up Rukia. He and Orihime had their first child three springs ago and named her Rukia. Byakuya nearly choked on his tea at the mention of their daughter's name.

"He what?" Byakuya nearly shouted.

Isshin busted out this wallet filled with pictures of his grand daughter Rukia…

"This is when she first started walking… I swear that little girl is just like her mother.." Isshin gloated.

Byakuya gazed at the bouncy infant appearing wobbly on her two chubby legs, pacifier in her mouth and holding out her hands. A smile brushed his lips as he thought of his own children back in the Soul Society and as if he read his mind,

"And how are your kids?" Isshin mused.

Once again Byakuya was taken aback on his knowledge of all this.

"My children are fine…" but decided to ask him for help.

As the men talked they had no idea Ichigo and little Rukia were walking up to the door. It wasn't until Ichigo felt a slight tug from his daughter and her look of worry. He decided to just walk in and froze as his eyes caught sight of Byakuya sitting right there in his father's living room. The air was now silent and tense as the two locked eyes for what seemed like forever. Little Rukia had no idea who the tall man with black robes on was, so she ran to her paw paw Isshin and clutched his leg.

"Kurosaki…" Byakuya finally greeted.

"What happed?" Ichigo quickly replied in a harsh voice.

Byakuya could not understand the bond they had, but they always knew when something was wrong with the other. He sighed heavily knowing he had no other choice and let Ichigo in on the situation.

Back at the Urahara Shop, Rukia was behaving strangely. Kiskue was beginning to worry if the stress had caused her to have amnesia. Desperately he worked on retrieving her memory, but nothing seemed to click. All she could remember was Ichigo, not her husband, not her home… not even her children. Kiskue knew this was bad and he knew he had to do something fast.

"Hey Rukia… would you like some tea?" he asked as he entered her room.

She sat up on the mat and hugged her knees, "Yes please.. Did you find Ichigo?"

Urahara smiled and handed her a cup, "I think they did…"

What was he going to do?

Byakuya did not seem happy one bit when he returned from his quick phone conversation with Kiskue. As he walked in, his cold glare made the little girl run back to her grandfather and sat beside him.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo picked up on his anger.

Giving him an empty stare Byakuya simply replied, "Amnesia…"

Isshin stood up and held his arms out to the little girl,

"Come get ice cream with paw paw, daddy has to talk to the man now…"

Ichigo placed a loving and gentle kiss on her forehead before they walked off.

"You love your daughter… don't you.." Byakuya started.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do, and I love my wife, too…" Ichigo replied. Byakuya waved off his attitude as he looked away,

"Our son will be nine in the summer and our little one is learning how to walk…" he said.

Ichigo slumped on the couch adjacent form him, "Two kids, huh? It's been that long?"

He recalled the last time he saw Rukia. The day Shintu was born. It pained him to see Byakuya holding Rukia and the newborn, feeling that it should have been him instead. Byakuya stared blankly as he continued his story. He had come back to Karakura Town as a simple man, no super human powers, no senses of danger just a plain human. He and Tatsuki had gone backpacking across Europe because Orihime could not go. She was already pregnant with their first child.

"You have another child?" Byakuya pried.

A year after returning to the real world, the two had a night of passion that resulted in an early pregnancy. Orihime was seven months when they were in a terrible car accident causing her to lose their son.

"His name would have been Ari…" Ichigo trailed off.

Byakuya had no idea of this, and bowed his head, "I'm sorry Ichigo…"

Looking up in slight amusement Ichigo smiled, "It's ok…"

He began to tell him the rest of the story when a loud rapping at the door caught their attention. Byakuya stood up in shock as Ichigo opened the door revealing a wide eyes Rukia wrapped in a shawl and looking frail.

"Rukia!" Ichigo called..

"Oh Ichigo! You are alright! Nii-sama! You too!" she smiled.

Byakuya's smile quickly turned into a frown, she had called him brother… After all the years they have been married, after everything they went through… her memory did not hold on to him? Ichigo furrowed his bow and looked over at Byakuya knowingly. She walked into the house as if she had still been staying there and made her way over to Byakuya.

"Brother, why are you here?" she asked.

He lifted his hand as if to touch her face, but quickly retracted it as Isshin and little Rukia walked in.

"Rukia!" he cried, "Rukia! You have come home!" Isshin cheered.

"Paw paw, I'm right here…" the little girl stomped.

Isshin lifted his red headed wide eyed grand daughter and held her against his side. Rukia looked at the little girl as she walked up to them.

"Who is this?" she asked curiously.

"I am Rukia…" the little girl smiled.

Rukia looked confused…

"I am Rukia, too. It seems we have the same name.." she smiled, but still looking confused at Ichigo.

"There is a lot we have to talk about, Rukia.." Ichigo smiled.

She looked over at Byakuya who was just staring at her .

"What's wrong with my brother, Ichigo? He looks like he's seen a ghost." she joked.

The four of them joined Byakuya in the living room and tried explaining to Rukia what happened. She just couldn't believe she had been away that long and that she had children with Byakuya… All this information coming in all at once was too much for her. After sitting there for thirty minutes, she finally burst out in tears and hurried to the back door. Rukia felt so lost and confused… she felt as if someone was playing a mean, dirty joke on her. She found her way to the swing set in the back and slumped into it. Her eyes were blurry from the tears building up and threatening to spill. How could she marry Byakuya? How could they have kids together? She couldn't remember their faces nor could she remember their names… She didn't remember anything. In her head was a constant ringing… something was trying to get out but she couldn't figure out what is was. Just as she was about to cry, she felt a small hand tug at her arm.

"Are you sad?" the little girl asked.

Rukia nodded. She was very sad…

"Oh… mommy says not to be sad because there is always a sunny day…" she toddler said.

Rukia smiled, this child was pretty smart.. Well she _was_ Ichigo and Orihime's child she thought. Rukia smiled as the little girl stood beside her with a contagious smile. She held out her hand to the black haired woman and led her back inside. Rukia knew she was going to have to face it and see if she could figure out what memory she was missing and why. After what the men had poured on her plate she was glad for a pink table set up with fake tea cups and crazy looking bonnets. How was she going to get her way out of this one?

"Lieutenant Abari, can I ask you a question?" Shintu said tilting his head.

"What is it little Capitan?" he replied with a grin.

Shintu walked from his father's desk and plopped himself on the couch beside him.

"Is my dad any fun at work?" the little boy asked rubbing an eye.

Renji wanted to burst out in laughter but knew better than that. His simple response was that he was a hard working man who loved them very much.

"Did you love mommy at one point?" Shintu probed.

Renji was a little uneasy about talking to this kid about such things, but he did anyway. He told Shintu the stories of he and Rukia growing up and even about how his dad had to adopt her at first.

Shintu's eyes widened, "Wait so my dad and mom are…"

"Oh! No! no, no, no, not at all!" Renji re assured.

A silent sigh of relief was heard form the couch as Renji continued up until his own wedding. Just as he was about to tell him more he heard a slight snoring. Shintu had passed smooth out on him. Renji huffed inwardly to himself and thought, "Oh yeah, he's just like his dad…"

He carried the little boy back to the Kuchki manor and handed him off to a servant. No one said a word as it was hard to get him to fall asleep so Renji simply nodded and turned to make his way back. Before he step foot off the grounds a maid came rushing up behind him…

"Lieutenant Abari please, wait!" she called.

He turned around to meet her look of fear, "What is it?"

"The young master.. He is screaming!" she panicked.

Renji hurried back in and found the lady servant clutching the screaming boy.

"Shintu! Shintu, what is it?" he pleaded the boy…

Shintu's eyes were wide and his hands were shaking,

"My mom… she is in trouble!" he cried.

Renji gave an uneasy look, "What makes you say that?"

Shintu covered his eyes in hopes that the image would come clear but to not avail. He stared back into Renji's eyes unable to give him an answer.

Renji looked at the frightened boy and knew he had to see for himself. With a gentle pat on the head he assured Shintu that he would return with his parents soon. Only to hurry in a desperate attempt to find out what was really going on. He called Matsumoto out from her barracks and filled her in on the situation. With her captain's blessing she too followed Renji to find Rukia and Byakuya.

Rukia sat beside Byakuya staring at his hands. Was she really married to him? This man that she always knew as her cold, lifeless brother-in-law. He had a different look about him, he looked as if he was searching for her in her eyes, like he was trying to find her in a forest or a jungle. He knew she was there, but he also knew she was lost somewhere in the past. A part of her heart was missing and for the life of her she could not fill that void. She wanted to find out why she was feeling so empty inside.

"B-Byakuya?" she asked.

Without skipping a beat he replied with a grip of her hand, "yes?"

She was shocked by his reaction and almost lost her nerve, but the feeling felt so natural.

"Do we really have children?" she questioned.

Byakuya's faint smile drifted off into an emotionless expression. He wish he had a picture or a way of showing her that Shintu and Nikko were real. All he could do was squeeze her lightly trembling hand and bring it up to his lips. His heart sank when she looked frightened by his gesture.

"Rukia, please…" he started but it just looked like it was too much for her to digest all at once.

"umm.. I'm going to my room now…" she announced as she slipped her hand away form his. Ichigo hadn't told her yet that her closet was full of baby clothes and shoes, and he bit his lip as she hurried up the stairs. It wasn't until he heard her yelling that he began to make his way up the stairs. Byakuya could only stare helplessly as Ichigo disappeared from his sight. He stared at the floor that was now starting to look fuzzy. Wiping his eye, he felt the warm liquid on his fingertips and examined them…. He was crying?

"Why are you sad?" he heard a little voice ask.

He looked up into the big green eyes of a red headed little girl.

"I am not…" he stated calmly.

She crept closer to his side and gently touched his knee…

"My mommy says never to be sad because there is always a sunny day…" she whispered.

Byakuya lifted his hand and placed it gently on her head. She reminded him of his own little Nikko and Shintu. Their kids… How was he going to explain to them that their mother can not remember who they are? He felt the tears building up in his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself. Little Rukia was now close enough for him to pick her up and hug.

"Thank you, Rukia…" he said with a broken tone.

Isshin watched as the usually stoic, emotionless man broke down in the gaze of a three year old little girl.

**Ok I think I'm on to something here… I have a bad cold so a few words or sentences may be a bit off… thank you Sudafed…. But as promised I have delivered. Please read and review.. :D**


	7. Rekindle the fire 4

… **:3 Since February, I have moved, relocated my life, experienced a twisted side of Texas Law Enforcement, and almost lost a cat in the process… BUT…. I have returned! \^.^/ Now allow me to say that I am FOREVER grateful for your patience and kind reviews. I will be working on a new story, but have decided to keep this one open for my little one shots and so fourth. Now that I will be staying in one spot for sometime I have time to produce something awesomely entertaining and a bib suspenseful…. But enough of that here is the final chapter for Rekindle the Fire… 3 **

Byakuya looked up into the face of Isshin standing just above him with a friendly but firm hand on his shoulder.

"Rukia will come out of this you know…" he stated.

Byakuya took a deep breath in and nodded his head slowly. He was kicking himself in the head for letting himself falter. Standing up, he noticed that Rukia was in the kitchen with her head low and her shoulders a bit sunk in. He made his way to her carefully incase she was frustrated.

"Rukia?" he called in a tender tone.

…..

"Are you alright?" he pressed now standing on the other side of the bar.

She was crying. He could hear the gentle sobs emitting from her; the tears falling from her cheek.

"What is it?" Byakuya was getting scared.

Shaky small hands slowly lifted a square shaped paper and handed it to him. Upon taking it, he realized it was a photograph. He flipped it over and saw a picture of their family.

"Where-" she cut him off…

"I found it in my bag… is it true?" her sacred, sad eyes met his.

He wanted to hug her so much, knowing how she felt but he stopped himself from doing so. He could only give her an emotional filled look that seemed to shock her.

"I'm so terribly confused, bro- Byakuya…" Rukia shook her head again and faced the countertop her hands rested on.

He took a deep breath and with a broken voice said, "I love you…"

Rukia's hands trembled and started to look blurry. She looked up into his eyes with her tears spilling out. Byakuya's face showed more emotion than he would ever allow himself to show. Rukia nodded in compliance, she had to force herself to remember but she knew it wasn't going to be easy. Taking the picture back and giving it one last look, she stuffed it in her shirt. She took yet another deep breath and forced on a smile, "Lets see if we can work this out together…" she offered.

A flicker of happiness turned his frown into a slight smile, "I hope we can, Rukia…"

She walked across to him and gingerly put her arms around him only to be met with a tight, sincere embrace. She could hear his heart pounding against his chest and she could hear the soft sobs from just above her head. Looking up into his sad grey eyes, she placed her hand against his cheek and wiped away a tear.

"We will get through this… I know we can. I just have to find my memory…" she smiled.

Byakuya leaned into her hand and closed his eyes allowing more tears to flow. He was a broken man inside, the visions of their kids played in his mind and all the things he and Rukia had done before this incident. His hope was reaching its maximum level as she spoke those words. He wanted nothing more than to have her back and they could go home to their kids. Their kids! He remembered that he hadn't checked in with Renji and made sure they were okay.

"I have to make a call…" he finally said.

Rukia looked up at him, "Oh? Who are you going to call?"

"…. Renji." hoping she would remember that she was the one who trusted him the most with her kids.

"Renji?" she looked as if she was trying to remember him as well until, "Why him?"

Byakuya let his breath go as he shook his head, "I have to check on the kids…"

Rukia's face was now straight, "May I… t-talk to them as well?"

He had already started calling Renji as she asked and replied with a slow nod.

"_Oi, it's about time sensei… Your son has been going crazy since last night!" _Renji's voice called.

"What do you mean? Where are they?" Byakuya demanded.

"_Here…" _he said as he handed the phone to Shintu.

"_Dad?" _a little voice was heard.

Rukia's body trembled as she heard his voice. The more he talked the more her mind raced trying to reclaim its memories of them. Before she knew it the phone was in her hand.

"He wants to talk to you, Rukia." Byakuya said.

Her shaky hands reached out and held the phone slowly bringing it to her ear.

"H-hello?" she asked.

"_Mom! I was worried about you so much! I had a horrible nightmare about you and I wanted to talk to you so bad! Is everything okay? Sister is doing great too she's crawling better now…" _she heard him say.

"o-ohh cool son…" was all she could say.

"_Mom, is everything okay?" _he asked again.

Rukia was stunned by his voice, it just made everything more real and she was about to lose her mind.

"Yes, Shinto, mommy is alright. I was just thinking about how much I miss you both. Give her a hug and a kiss for me son." her voice was in auto play and it took her by surprise.

"_Oh good! So I will be seeing you and dad soon then? If I remembered correctly, this mission was supposed to be no more than three days." _he pointed out.

Rukia couldn't help but giggle at his seriousness, "You sound just like your father."

Byakuya watched as the two carried on a conversation. Hoping that this would be what makes her remember, he stood behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Rukia was so into her conversation she hardly noticed.

The conversation lasted for about thirty minutes before she hung up. Byakuya had made his way to the den and sat there looking at some magazines.

"Well that was wonderful…" she announced.

Byakuya stood up and smiled, " How did it go?"

Rukia nodded, "I have kids…"

Wasn't the exact answer he was hoping for, but he was glad she accepted her own children and didn't completely ward them off. He took her hand and gently pulled her into his embrace, but this time she didn't shy away. He felt in his heart that she was really going to try and give it all she could or at least until they could get to Captain Mauyri.

"I'm going to try, Byakuya… I really am." she promised.

His eyes instantly lit up and a faint smile brushed his face. He felt in his heart that she was really going to put all of her heart into this. Taking her hand in his, he gently pulled her closer to him and held her in a gentle embrace.

"We will work on this together, Rukia." he whispered in her ear.

Her heart was pounding in her ear as her head rested against his chest. They were still in Isshin's house and the moment was suddenly interrupted when the owner walked in on them.

"Oh! Umm… I was just looking for…" his eyes scanned the room for some random object, "…this!" he announced as he grabbed an object from a nearby table.

Rukia gave a soft sigh as if the sight of Isshin brought her to her state of calmness.

"Maybe we should be alone?" she said suddenly.

This caught Byakuya off guard. She really was trying…

"Where would you like to go, Rukia?" he pressed.

Rukia pulled away gently and had a serious look across her face.

"Is there any place that I loved besides home?" she giggled.

Byakuya could only think of one place she once said she was really happy. Smiling, he took a cell phone from his pocket and punched in some numbers. He walked with the phone into another part of the house leaving Rukia to her thoughts. As she stood there in the sitting room, her eyes caught sight of the picture frames resting on the desk a few feet from her. As she approached it, she could make out two small children. Her eyes widened as her fingers touched the frame. She was looking at a little boy and a baby girl who strikingly resembled herself and her alleged husband. She held the frame closer to her face and studied every single feature as her heart began to pound hard against her chest.

"Are these our children?" she said to herself.

Not knowing that Byakuya was standing in the doorway watching, she traced the faces with her finger and begged her mind to remember them. She felt a tear slip out from her eye and soon another and then another. Obviously, her heart was telling her something about this picture, picture mind refused to cooperate. For the life of her she could not remember anything about these kids or her life married to Byakuya for that matter.

She let out a frustrated sigh and turned around to meet his gaze from the doorway. Quickly, she put down the frame and wiped her eyes.

"How long were you standing there?" she quizzed.

Shaking his head he took a step closer, "Did you see it?"

Her head slowly shook from side to side, "Sadly, I don't… My heart wants to but my mind just won't open up."

Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder he smiled, "I think I found a place where we could go. If you can't remember this place then our last resort is Mayuri…"

Rukia looked up at him with a slight hint of worry on her face. Clearly she didn't want to be a part of his experimental fiascos. Byakuya couldn't help but let a muffled giggle escape.

"Did you just laugh at me?" she growled.

He squeezed her shoulders together, "Lighten up, Rukia… It'll be okay."

His suggestion earned him a slight smack on the chest. She looked up at him waiting for him to scold her, but nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" he asked once she froze.

"You're not mad?"

He gave her a funny look, "Why would I get mad?"

"… Because I hit you." she pouted slightly.

He chuckled…. That alone scared her, but made him laugh even harder.

"Your smile…"she started, "… It scares me."

Byakuya stopped mid laugh to stare at her. "… What?"

There was a brief moment of silence before they both started cracking up. She laughed so incredibly hard she could feel her lungs aching. He tok her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

"We haven't laughed like that in a really long time Rukia, do you realize that?" he smiled.

Now blushing, she turned away and looked back at the picture she was looking at before.

"Did we really have a family together?" she asked innocently.

All he could do was nod, how else was he going to explain it to her? He had already done as much as he could. Taking in a deep breath, he smiled..

"When we get to this place, I am hoping that something will bring back your memory."

Now she was more than curious to see this place he was talking about. Apparently she knew this place like the back of her hand and she could never get enough of it.

The car pulled up into the driveway and waited for them. Isshin and Byakuya exchanged some friendly words before a manly hug was exchanged. Rukia couldn't help but smile. This was a side of Byakuya she never saw before, or at least as far as her memory would let her.

"Now Rukia, I want you to have as much fun as you can and take as much time as you need to work on your memory…" Isshin smiled as he patted her head, "Remember, you are still my daughter and I am always going to be here…"

She smiled and jumped into his embrace. Now him she could remember but for some reason, her memories with Byakuya and her kids were almost completely gone from her mind, but the pulling sensation in her heart was telling her otherwise. She turned away and met her husband's gaze with a soft smile as he stood by the car waiting on her.

"Are you ready?" he smiled.

She nodded and proceeded to climb into the car when she heard a familiar voice calling her name from down the street.

"RUUUUKKKKIAAA!" the female voice called.

She turned just in time to catch Orihime flailing her arms wildly and running towards her.

Orihime pulled her into a bear hug embrace almost taking the breath from Rukia.

"O-Orihime.. I can't…." she tried but her air supply was running out.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry…" Orihime smiled, "I have missed you Rukia! How come you didn't bring Shintu and Nikko?"

Rukia's mouth quivered slightly as her mind raced. How much of her memory was actually lost? She began to ask herself. Orihime noticed some hesitation and was quick to ask about the kids again, thinking something bad might have happened to them. Byakuya reassured her that nothing had happened to them, but he did mention that Rukia had recently encountered a strange hollow a few days ago.

"A hollow, huh?" she rested her hands on her hips and seemed to scan Rukia from head to toe, "You want me to try and reverse it?"

All eyes were now staring at her in awe….

**Well… I leave you with a little cliffhanger to get your minds running… :3 I'm trying my hardest to come up with more suspense so if anyone has any ideas feel free to throw some at me! :3 thank you all for your reviews and comments!**


	8. Rekindle the fire end

**So I have given it a bit of thought and have decided on discontinuing this story. Its not because I ran out of things to plot, it's just that I am working on something bigger and it needs more of my attention. ****J So without any more delay….**

Byakuya gently but firmly grabbed her hand, "You can do that?" a hint of desperation in his voice.

Orihime nervously shrugged, "I think so… I don't think it would hurt to try?"

Rukia smiled and took her hand in hers, "I think we should try…"

The girls looked at each other with warm smiles as Byakuya let Orihime's hand go and turned to Isshin.

"Do you think we have a chance?" he replied without even waiting for Byakuya's question.

Orihime smiled nervously as the two men stared intently at her. She pulled Rukia along side her and pushed past the stunned men.

"We will need some privacy if you don't mind…" she called as they disappeared into the house.

With Rukia hanging on to her hand still and gave her a nice squeeze. Orihime quickly caught on to her uneasiness and smiled.

"Don't worry, even if this doesn't work, at least you will be healed from any injuries." she coaxed.

Rukia smiled and made her way to the examination table with Orihime close behind her.

As she lay on the table, the side of her shirt lifted just enough to reveal a small scar on her flank. Orihime took quick notice of it and ran her finger over the blemish.

"Hey, what happened over here?" she asked.

Rukia looked down at the small red mark and slightly inspected it with her own finger, "You know what, I don't even know where this came from, I never thought to ask…"

Upon hearing this, Orihime smiled. She took Rukia's hands and gently moved them to her chest, setting them in a resting state. Rukia complied and relaxed herself on the table knowing full well that Orihime would help her to the best of her abilities. As she lay there, she let her mind wander off into some sort of space in time where she could be clam and let Orihime do what she did best. She walked through a pair of doors and walked into a beautiful garden. Cherry blossoms filled the air as the breeze wisped her hair across her face. Rukia turned her head at the sound of a slight splashing in the distance, and followed her curiosity to a small, terracotta bridge overseeing an oval shaped pond. Standing just in the middle, almost too perfectly, resting her foot upon the lower portion of the wooden bridge she gazed into the pond and noticed the huge koi fish swimming about. She smiled as she brushed her cheek of the strand of ebony tickling the side of her nose. Her head lifted just enough to catch sight of something else in the distance; something small clad in a white jumper from the looks of it. Rukia's curiosity got the best of her as she dashed from the bridge in the direction of the object. Creeping up behind a bush, she stood just a few feet of a small child. A boy to be exact. He tilted his head to the right revealing a slight glance at his stunning features. Rukia's heart skipped a beat. This boy really resembled Byakuya in strange ways, and as he made a complete turn she lost her footing and fell over a few inches before she caught herself. She turned back to where the boy was but he wasn't there. She stood up abruptly but just as she did the boy appeared around her waist, hugging her tightly and burying his face into her stomach. She was frozen only for a moment until she looked down into her own eyes…

"Mama…" he called.

Rukia felt the heat from tears pouring down her face. This boy was her son. She felt her heart beating for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. It beat strong and hard against her chest as her arms scooped up the boy and pressed him firmly against her face. She held this boy tightly and cried.

"Shintu!" her sobs now breaking.

She remembered her son… It was like a void was filled almost completely… Almost. She mounted Shintu on her hip and secured him in her arm. He smiled and pat her now engorged belly, earning a shocked gasp from Rukia.

"Sister…" he smiled.

Rukia placed her hand on the firm ball protruding from her body and ran it over and over until she felt a kick. She was pregnant…

"Nikko…" she replied.

A few seconds after, her belly vanished and teetering just beside her was an infant grasping her leg. Rukia knelt over holding out her arm and scooped up the little girl. Both kids now in arms, Rukia cried. She felt so complete and safe. She found her children once again and felt whole…

"Orihime…" Rukia finally opened her eyes.

Orihime was crying… Apparently she felt the whole thing as she healed Rukia's mysterious scar. She sat up on the table and took her hand in hers.

"I found them…. I found Nikko and Shintu. I know what happened to me now…" Rukia said.

"W-what happened?" Orihime sniffled.

As Rukia explained the encounter with the hollow, it all started to make sense. He was erasing her memories from the present to the past… Until she completely vanished from existence. She recalled her wedding to Byakuya and began to remember more about their relationship.

"I don't want to tell him just yet." Rukia smiled.

"What are you scheming?" Orihime smiled in return.

…

…

…

Ichigo and his daughter walked up to a pacing Byakuya and a nervous Isshin. Scratching his head, he bit his lip

"Umm, are ya'll okay?"

Isshin jolted toward him taking him in a full on embrace, "Orihime is trying to cure Rukia!"

Ichigo pried himself from his father's hold and stepped back, "She what? Is it working?"

At that same moment, the girls came out of the house with solemn faces. Byakuya slowly walked up to Rukia and took her hands in his.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Rukia held back her smile, appearing stoic and calm, "It didn't work…"

A cry was heard as Isshin dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands. Byakuya arched an eyebrow in his direction, but shook it off and pulled Rukia into his arms.

With her face covered in his chest, she smiled. She was going to get the romance back in their relationship one way or another. She looked over and winked at Orihime who in return smiled quickly and picked up her daughter.

"I think we should go now…" Byakuya pressed.

Rukia looked up at him and nodded. She followed behind as they walked to the waiting car. As she sat behind the driver, she radiated with anticipation. Her plan was bound to work… All she had to do was play the part of an amnesia patient… and when the day comes to go home, he memory will come back. Oh how her mind was thriving with ideas!

…

…

…

They pulled up to a dirt road a few hours later and she already knew where they were. It was the first time the ran away from the Soul Society together and made love. You could say that was where little Shintu was conceived. Byakuya glanced over at Rukia who played dumb perfectly.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked, gently taking her hand.

Rukia looked around for a minute and looked at him with a crooked frown,

"Not really?"

He exhaled and smiled, "It's okay, we will have time to work on your memory then."

Rukia nodded in agreement and went back to looking out of the window. All Byakuya could do was stare at the reflection in the mirror. She looked lost and confused. Within minutes, they pulled up into a paved driveway leading to a cozy looking cabin surrounded by trees. Rukia nearly gave herself away but wiped the smile off her face,

"It this the place?" she asked.

Byakuya smiled and opened the car door, "Would you like to see?"

She nervously took his hand and pulled herself out of the car. Standing in front of the steps, her heart began to race. Rukia was never really any good at lying to people, much less her own husband. He led her in the front door and let her stand there for a minute as he went to get their bags. She looked at every little detail and noticed it had not been touched since the last time they came… which was about a few months before she found out she was pregnant with Nikko. Her smile grew into a grin as her eyes found the bed, she remembered that alright…. As she heard him walk up the steps and the driver taking off, she clutched herself in her arms and acted lost.

"This place is beautiful…" she smiled.

He dropped his bag on the floor and dusted his shirt off, "You don't remember anything?"

Her haphazard smile told him otherwise. He sighed heavily with a smile and took her by her hands, "Come with me…"

She wasn't expecting that and followed him a little reluctantly.

They went out the backdoor and followed a narrow path into the densely wooded area. Her heart was about to burst with nervousness until she heard running water. Now her curiosity was kicking in. They came up to a riverbank and a small clearing already set up with a picnic basket and extra blankets. He planned it all along! She was about to ask why it was there when his lips met hers in a deep kiss. She hadn't felt a kiss like that in a long time. It had been nearly seven months since he last kissed her like this. Byakuya pulled her tightly into his embrace and held her there, just kissing her.

Overcome with him, she found it difficult to stand. Rukia let her body go limp in his arms as he cradled her even closer if it be possible.

Once he pulled away from her, he stared into her eyes and smiled.

"Are you going to thank me now?" he smiled.

Rukia, a bit stunned still, blinked a couple of times not knowing how to respond.

"I knew that Orihime healed you the minute you walked out of the Kurosaki house, Rukia." he grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Wh-what?" Rukia was a little shaken up.

He gently let her go and smiled at her trying to find an answer.

"But.. I don't remember Summerhaven-" she slapped her hand over her mouth. She knew she was busted because he never mentioned anything about the name of the cabin.

Byakuya chuckled and sat on the blanket patting a spot right next to him.

"Come on Rukia, let's enjoy our weekend here." he invited.

Rukia was still stunned but sat anyway and just stared at him.

"Are you wondering how I knew?" he asked taking a couple of wine glasses from the basket.

Her head nodded but her mouth stayed shut.

"The second you walked out of that house, your spiritual pressure was back to its normal level. I could feel you in my heart again." he admitted.

"But then why did you bring me here?" she finally said.

Byakuya handed her a glass and took her free hand, "Because Rukia, you did forget one thing…"

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "I did?"

"Today is our wedding anniversary…" he smiled, " A toast?"

She toasted his glass as her smile grew and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Don't cry, Rukia. It's not a bad thing…" he smiled again.

"That's not why I am crying. I'm crying because you remembered…" Rukia sobbed.

"I think it has been a while since I was a good husband to you, Rukia. I know I am gone a lot and I don't spend enough time with you and our kids. It took almost losing you to realize that. I am not going to let it happen again and I will take the rest of eternity to make it up to you." he pledged.

Rukia put her glass to the side and jumped in his arms, "Do you promise?"

Byakuya kissed her the tip of her nose and smiled… "I do…"

**Well, it isn't much for an ending. I think it was a bit obvious, but I had to end it. I was seriously running out of ideas. And today I didn't go to school so I took this moment to finish this story up. I hope some time soon I can upload a new story that will be fun to read. Thank you all for hanging in there with me! :3**


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